Question: $ A = \left[\begin{array}{rr}1 & 2 \\ 5 & 3\end{array}\right]$ $ F = \left[\begin{array}{rrr}4 & -1 & 2 \\ 0 & 5 & 3\end{array}\right]$ What is $ A F$ ?
Solution: Because $ A$ has dimensions $(2\times2)$ and $ F$ has dimensions $(2\times3)$ , the answer matrix will have dimensions $(2\times3)$ $ A F = \left[\begin{array}{rr}{1} & {2} \\ {5} & {3}\end{array}\right] \left[\begin{array}{rrr}{4} & \color{#DF0030}{-1} & \color{#9D38BD}{2} \\ {0} & \color{#DF0030}{5} & \color{#9D38BD}{3}\end{array}\right] = \left[\begin{array}{rrr}? & ? & ? \\ ? & ? & ?\end{array}\right] $ To find the element at any row $i$ , column $j$ of the answer matrix, multiply the elements in row $i$ of the first matrix, $ A$ , with the corresponding elements in column $j$ of the second matrix, $ F$ , and add the products together. So, to find the element at row 1, column 1 of the answer matrix, multiply the first element in ${\text{row }1}$ of $ A$ with the first element in ${\text{column }1}$ of $ F$ , then multiply the second element in ${\text{row }1}$ of $ A$ with the second element in ${\text{column }1}$ of $ F$ , and so on. Add the products together. $ \left[\begin{array}{rrr}{1}\cdot{4}+{2}\cdot{0} & ? & ? \\ ? & ? & ?\end{array}\right] $ Likewise, to find the element at row 2, column 1 of the answer matrix, multiply the elements in ${\text{row }2}$ of $ A$ with the corresponding elements in ${\text{column }1}$ of $ F$ and add the products together. $ \left[\begin{array}{rrr}{1}\cdot{4}+{2}\cdot{0} & ? & ? \\ {5}\cdot{4}+{3}\cdot{0} & ? & ?\end{array}\right] $ Likewise, to find the element at row 1, column 2 of the answer matrix, multiply the elements in ${\text{row }1}$ of $ A$ with the corresponding elements in $\color{#DF0030}{\text{column }2}$ of $ F$ and add the products together. $ \left[\begin{array}{rrr}{1}\cdot{4}+{2}\cdot{0} & {1}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{-1}+{2}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{5} & ? \\ {5}\cdot{4}+{3}\cdot{0} & ? & ?\end{array}\right] $ Fill out the rest: $ \left[\begin{array}{rrr}{1}\cdot{4}+{2}\cdot{0} & {1}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{-1}+{2}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{5} & {1}\cdot\color{#9D38BD}{2}+{2}\cdot\color{#9D38BD}{3} \\ {5}\cdot{4}+{3}\cdot{0} & {5}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{-1}+{3}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{5} & {5}\cdot\color{#9D38BD}{2}+{3}\cdot\color{#9D38BD}{3}\end{array}\right] $ After simplifying, we end up with: $ \left[\begin{array}{rrr}4 & 9 & 8 \\ 20 & 10 & 19\end{array}\right] $